Znoud el-sit

Znoud el-sit
A pyramid stack of pyllo rolls decorated with nuts
Znoud el-sit, decorated with pistachios and dried rose petals
Alternative namesAsabe Zainab[1]
CourseDessert
Main ingredientsFilo, cream

Znoud el-sit (Arabic: زنود الست, lit. 'Lady's forearms') is an Arab dessert, made from stuffed filo pastry that is shaped into a "finger", fried, and topped with syrup and crushed nuts.[2][1] Qishta, cream cheese, and muhallebi are common stuffings.[1][3] It is often likened to a cannoli.[4] It is found in Levantine, Iraqi, and Omani cuisines.[1]

Preparation

The dessert is prepared by rolling the filling into baklava (filo) pastry sheets, shaping it into a rectangle or tube, it is then fried, and then soaked in a syrup called qatir, and finally garnished with pistachios and dried rose petals.[5][6][1] The syrup is traditionally flavored with orange blossom water.[7][8]

Etymology

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The origin of the name znoud el-sit is uncertain, with folk tales claiming it originated from Ottoman Syria, it is commonly believed that the name is derived from its shape.[9][10] The name asabe Zainab (Arabic: أصابع زينب, lit. 'Zainab's fingers') is sometimes used instead, but it may also refer to a separate dessert similar to lokma.[11][12][1] Both names follow a pattern in Arab cuisine where desserts are given feminine names, other such desserts include swar el-sit ("Lady's bracelet") and ghazl al-banat ("The girls' spinning"), a tahini-based candy floss.[13][3] The name znoud el sit is attested in English texts as early 1965.[14]

History

A common folk legend credits the name of the dessert to Ottoman statesman Mustafa Agha Barbar, then governor of Tripoli, Lebanon, while assigning its origin to Kirkuk, Iraq.[10][5][15][16]

By region

In Lebanon, and the greater Levant, as well as Iraq, znoud el-sit are a common dessert.[17][18] They are typically made with layers of rolled phyllo sheets, stuffed with qishta, which are then fried and coated in syrup.[17][18][19] They are traditionally served for Iftar during the month of Ramadan.[4][5]

Znoud es-sit was traditionally fried in samneh.[20][9]

Znoud el-sit were popularized in Egypt by refugees of the Syrian civil war.[21][22]

In Omani cuisine, they are known as asabe Zainab and are filled with cheese instead of qishta.[1][23]

Customs

Znoud el-sit are often served with coffee.[4][7] They are also common during holidays or celebrations.[5][24]

In pop culture

A comedy show named znoud el-sit after the sweet aired in 2013, every episode of the show showcased a different dish from Damascene cuisine.[25][26]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "How to make asabe zainab, a deep-fried pastry from Oman". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
  2. ↑ Ballor, Claire (2022-06-24). "Best things we ate this week: A Costco dinner, spicy fries, and a 'healthy' desk snack". Dallas News. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
  3. 1 2 "حلوى زنود الست ما علاقتها بالسيدات!" [What does "Zanoud El Set" sweets have to do with women?]. Rozana FM (in Arabic). 19 May 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 Gregory-Smith, John (9 May 2019). Saffron in the Souks: Vibrant recipes from the heart of Lebanon. Octopus. ISBN 978-0-85783-789-9. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "زنود الست... لكل الأعياد" [Znoud es-sit...for every holiday]. The New Arab (in Arabic). 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  6. ↑ "Znoud el sit". SBS Food. 3 March 2026. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  7. 1 2 Fadi Kattan (14 May 2024). Bethlehem: A Celebration Of Palestinian Food. p. 414. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  8. ↑ Murray, Edmundo (4 September 2015). A Symphony of Flavors: Food and Music in Concert. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 20. ISBN 978-1-4438-8130-2. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  9. 1 2 ياسين, عبد الرحيم، (2012). موسوعة العامية السورية: كراسة لغوية نقدية في التفصيح والتأصيل والمولد والدخيل (in Arabic). Wizārat al-Thaqāfah, al-Hayah al-ʻĀmmah al-Sūrīyah lil-Kitāb. p. 1128. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  10. 1 2 "بقلاوة مقرمشة.. ما قصة تسمية "زنود الست" بهذا الاسم؟" [Crispy baklava... What's the story behind the name "Zanoud El Set"?]. CNN Arabic (in Arabic). 8 October 2019. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
  11. ↑ Khayr al-Din al-Asadi (1981). موسوعة حلب المقارنة [Comparative Encyclopedia of Aleppo] (in Arabic). p. 176. Retrieved 9 Apr 2026. أٔصابيع زۤينَب: كانوا أطلقوها على ضرب من الحلوى المعجّنة تتخذ كاللقم المتطاول، واليوم يطلقوا على البقلاوة ذات القطع المستطيلة تحشى غالباً بالقشدة، وعبثاً حاولنا أي الزينبات زينبتنا هذه، وتسمى في بيروت زنود الست.
  12. ↑ "بالصور نابلس: مدينة الحلويات... في رمضان قصة مختلفة" [In pictures: Nablus, the city of sweets... Ramadan tells a different story]. Palestine Today (in Arabic). 30 July 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  13. ↑ Salloum, Habeeb; Salloum, Muna; Elias, Leila Salloum (25 June 2013). Sweet Delights from a Thousand and One Nights: The Story of Traditional Arab Sweets. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 45. ISBN 978-0-85773-341-2. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  14. ↑ Gellhorn, Eleanor Cowles (1965). McKay's Guide to the Middle East. McKay Company. p. 204. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  15. ↑ "زنود الست.. أيقونة رمضان في العراق: نكهة الذاكرة التي تتصدر موائد الإفطار#" [Znoud el sit... an icon of Ramadan in Iraq: a flavor of nostalgia that graces Iftar tables.]. Observer Iraq (in Arabic). 2 March 2026. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  16. ↑ Roufs, Timothy G.; Roufs, Kathleen Smyth (29 July 2014). Sweet Treats around the World: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN 979-8-216-15204-0. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  17. 1 2 "Local Knowledge: Where to Find Some of the Best Lebanese Sweets in Sydney". Broadsheet. 6 Apr 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  18. 1 2 "Al-Husseiniya sweet shop celebrated for 14 years of Znood Al-Sit and baklava". 964media. 27 September 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  19. ↑ "Shahrouk sisters win Family Food Fight". The West Australian. 28 November 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  20. ↑ علي،, لوباني، حسين [in Arabic] (2007). معجم الالفاظ التراثية في فلسطين [Dictionary of Traditional Vernacular in Palestine] (in Arabic). Librairie Du Liban Publishers. p. 194. ISBN 978-9953-33-702-9. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  21. ↑ ""أوزي وزنود الست".. أشهر بائع حلوى سوري ببورسعيد: المصريين شالونا على الراس - فيديو وصور" ["Ozi and Znoud El Set", the most famous Syrian candy seller in Port Said: Egyptians have taken us on their heads]. Masrawy (in Arabic). 12 Apr 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  22. ↑ "رمضان.. موسم خاص لازدهار الحلوى السورية بمصر" [Ramadan: A special season for Syrian sweets to flourish in Egypt]. Al-Jazeera (in Arabic). Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  23. ↑ "«أكشاك الطعام التقليدية» تجربة ثقافية تعرّف الزوار بالموروث الغذائي العُماني" ["Traditional Food Stalls" is a cultural experience that introduces visitors to Omani culinary heritage.]. Oman Daily (in Arabic). 2 January 2026. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  24. ↑ "بالصور محلات الحلويات في غزة تستعد لنتائج "الإنجاز"" [In pictures: Sweet shops in Gaza prepare for the results of the "achievement" exam.]. Palestine Today (in Arabic). 5 July 2018. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  25. ↑ "بالصور: نجمات سوريا يدخلن المطبخ استعداداً لدراما رمضان 2013 | مجلة سيدتي" [In pictures: Syrian stars enter the kitchen in preparation for Ramadan 2013 drama]. Sayidaty Magazine (in Arabic). 9 Mar 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  26. ↑ "رازي وردة... كاتب الكوميديا السوري الذي خذله الزمن" [Razi Warda... the Syrian comedian who was let down by time]. Al-Khabar. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
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